Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney Massively Disappoint as Unique Times Square Event Flops

They say the best-laid plans often go awry, and the sport of boxing experienced that firsthand on Friday night.

What was supposed to be a crowning achievement for the sport turned into a massive disappointment, as one of the most anticipated rematches in recent memory is likely off the table after two of boxing's biggest stars failed to deliver.

Under the bright lights of New York City, the first boxing event ever to be held outside in Times Square ended with Ryan Garcia losing to Rolando "Rolly" Romero by unanimous decision in his first fight following his one-year suspension following his win-turned-no-contest against Devin Haney. A win by Garcia would've secured a rematch against Haney, who won his catchweight bout against Jose Ramirez in spectacularly lackluster fashion earlier in the night, but Romero spoiled those plans.

Garcia was dropped in the second round after Romero cracked him with a left hook, and the 26-year-old struggled to find his footing from there.

Despite his early success, Romero took his foot off the gas and turned the fight into a slow-moving contest that lacked action as he trudged his way toward a clear decision win by scores of 115-112, 115-112 and 118-109. According to Jed Meshew of MMA Fighting, it was the third-lowest total of punches thrown in a 12-round fight in boxing history.

To make matters worse, Romero failed to capitalize on his moment when he delivered an overly humble message during his in-ring interview. Rather than using his time on the microphone to build his star power and call for his own main-event fight against Haney, he inexplicably suggested that he and Garcia should still do their rematch and fill their pockets.

"I ain’t even thinking about what’s next," Romero said in the ring. "I think Devin and Ryan should get their rematch and make a big one."

Romero is probably the only person who still wants to see Garcia and Haney face off again after Friday night.

Haney was also fighting after a yearlong layoff following his disappointing performance against Garcia in April 2024 in which he was knocked down three times, and it showed. The former undisputed lightweight champion looked tentative and scared to pull the trigger against Ramirez. While Haney did enough to earn scores of 119-109, 119-109 and 118-110, he failed to generate any interest in another marquee matchup. He surprisingly wasn't even interviewed in the ring following his win.

Despite Garcia vs. Haney 2 losing its luster, the night wasn't a complete dud. The event, dubbed "Fatal Fury: City of Wolves," was one of the most unique showcases boxing has ever seen. Teofimo Lopez, a Brooklyn native, retained his WBO and Ring junior welterweight titles with a dominant unanimous decision win over Arnold Barboza in the first of the three main events.

From the illumination from the video screens in Times Square to the sirens wailing and music blasting on the streets surrounding the ring to the construction workers fresh off a shift who got to watch the fights from a bird's eye view above the venue, New York City was front and center as a featured character throughout the night.

The event bordered on the absurd at times and brought back the spectacle of boxing, with Garcia making his entrance in a Batmobile, celebrity impersonators as ring card holders and hundreds of fans packing the sidewalks outside the venue just trying to get a glimpse of the show.

Still, boxing's Big City blowout tripped over its own feet before reaching the finish line. Haney's snoozefest and Garcia's disaster created questions about what's next for both fighters, as they both have some work to do to win back boxing fans and reignite interest in their eventual rematch.